Sheriff's office investigating accidental shooting

Wednesday

May 30, 2012 at 8:32 PM

Two brothers were struck by the same bullet at their grandmother's home on Tom Everhart Road in a shooting that deputies were calling accidental Wednesday evening, according to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.

BY DARRICK IGNASIAKThe Dispatch

Two brothers were struck by the same bullet at their grandmother's home on Tom Everhart Road in a shooting that deputies were calling accidental Wednesday evening, according to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.At 4:52 p.m., deputies with the sheriff's office and paramedics with Davidson County Emergency Services were dispatched to a report of a shooting at 572 Tom Everhart Road off of North County Home Road.Deputies arrived to find two brothers – ages 19 and 16 – had been shot after a gun went off, said DCSO Capt. Casey Tarleton."Right now, we are labeling it as an accidental shooting," Tarleton said.Both suffered non-life-threatening injuries, said Sheriff David Grice.Rick and John Helmstetler, both of whom were at the scene and said they are cousins of the brothers, identified the older sibling as Thomas Everhart and the younger brother as Brandon Everhart.Tarleton said it appeared a single-action pistol was involved in the incident. The weapon was in the custody of the sheriff's office Wednesday evening.The sheriff's office reported the shooting occurred near the kitchen table in the grandmother's home. The 19-year-old was "playing with the gun" when it went off, the captain said."When he pulled the hammer back, it slid off his thumb, which caused it to hit the primer and send the shell off," Tarleton said. "(The bullet) hit him and then it ricocheted off the ground and hit his brother."Tarleton said the eldest brother was hit in the leg and the younger sibling was struck in a calf area. Thomas Everhart was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.Tarleton said paramedics advised the sheriff's office that oldest brother could be treated at Wake Forest Baptist Health – Lexington Medical Center but for "safety wise" he was being taken to Baptist in Winston-Salem. The captain said the younger brother suffered a small wound. Tarleton said the younger brother was being taken to the local hospital by the teens' father.Deputies remained at the scene around 6 p.m. as they continued their investigation.A hospital spokeswoman said around 7:45 p.m. that Thomas Everhart had been discharged.Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.